Receptacle-closure.



C. R. KEERAN.

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE.

APPLlcATloN FILED JULY 31, 1916.

1,226,532., Patented May 15, 191?.

UNTER@ STATES ATEN FlHlQlE..

CHARLES R. KEERAN, 0F CHICAGO,-ILLINOIS.

BECEBTACLE-CLOSURE.

Application led July 31, 1916.

To all whom t may concern I Be 1t known that I, CHAuLEs R, KEERAN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReceptacle-Closures, of which the following is a, specification.

This invention relates to a closure intended primarily, although notexclusively, for Mason jars and the like, and is particularly concernedwith a gasket guide or holder` which alines the parts in position toeffect a vacuum seal.

The present; device may be used advantageously with Mason jars which areformed with a screw-threaded neck arranged to receive thereonV a screwthreaded cap. Mason jars, such as are now in use, are

' not uniform in the size, shape and finish of their necks, thesevariations being due,

among other causes, to imperfections ,inl

glass working machinery. It is especially noticeable that the thicknessofthe glass, as well as the size of the mouths in jars of the Mason typeare not of uniform dimensions. Experience shows, however, that theoutside diameters of Mason jar necks are substantially uniform, evenwheh such jars are the products of different manufacturers, or areproduced on different styles of glass blowing machinery. rIhe closure ofthe present invention, therefore, is designed with particular referenceto the exterior of Mason jar necks which are substantially of uniformsize, instead of the inner side of such jar necks.

Substantially alll fruit jar caps now in use are constructed accordingto one of two l broad governing principles: One utilizes a shoulder onthe ar exterior just below the neck, upon which shoulder a gasket isplaced. A cup-shaped cap screwed over the gasket and fastened upon thejar neck, serves to provide the seal. The other method of constructionemploys a cap equipped with a depending panel or annular flange whichfits within the mouth of the jar, and around this panel or flange agasket is fitted. To form a seal the cap is placed on the jar with thepanel or flange extending downwardly into its mouth, the gasket beingseated on the upper edge of thejar neck.

A jar embodying either of these principles of construction will sealreadily if the jars be of a proper size to cooperate with Specificationof.Letters Patent.

the caps used, but the seals thus formed are found to be very diflicultto break. rlhis is due to the pressure ofair on the jar exterior, whichcauses the sealing gasket to adhere very firmly to both the jar and thecap. Under this pressure the gasket will flow, become distorted, andfind rest between the walls of the cap and jar, thus increasing theamount of surface with which it comes in contact. Such a seal can not beeasily broken by a knife or other instrument as it cannot be pushed pastthe gasket, but can be pushed only into it, so that thecontinuingadhesion of the gasket to the surrounding` parts prevents a breaking ofthe seal. It is usually necessary under such circumstances to pry offthe cap by sheer force, in order to overcome both the air pressure andthe adhesion of the gasket to the cap and jar. This prying action oftencauses the jar or cap or knife to break, and, in case of jars vwhichseal on the upper edge, it is quitecommon for the glass to flake offinto the jar, thus spoiling both the jar and its contents.

With the objects in view of producing a seal which will not be subjectto the objections noted, I have yprovided a closure for jars of theMason type, which is simple, inexpensive, and easy to apply; a closuredesigned with particular reference to the outside of the jar neck as.the standard, to insure a better seal; and a Closure which may bereadily removed with little danger of breaking either the jar or thecap. These aud other objects of my invent-ion will more fullyhereinafter appear from the specifica.- tion and claims, and from theaccompanying drawing, in which :w

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the upper portion of a Masonjar, the closure of the present invention being applied thereon;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the closure upon thejar neck ready to be tightened;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the closure in finalposition; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the gasket guide orholder.

For purposes of illustration, I have represented in the drawing` a Masonjar 5, the neck 6 of which is threaded as at 7, to receive thereon ascrew cap 8 formed with threads 9 which coperate with the jar threads 7.The top face of the screw cap may be cut away as at 10, leaving anannular inturned flange 12, as illustrated.

Between the upper edge 13 of the jar and the screw cap S, I havearranged means for sealing the jar against the passage of air,consisting of a disk 14 and a gasket 15, both of which are retainedwithin a holder or guide 16. This holder may be in the form of a cup,.or may be ring-shaped with its upper edge inturned to provide a ange 17bearing against the upper face of the disk, and its lower edge outwardlyflared as at 1S. The material of which this holder or guide is made maybe paper, Celluloid, thin metal, or any other suitable substance, formedor spun to thc shape required. Its purpose is to hold the disk andgasket in alinement with respect to the jar neck prior to, and during,the time that the screw cap 8 is tightened upon the jar. The holder orguide is shown as formed with its lower edge 18 flared outwardly. Thisconstruction is preferred, as it facilitates the insertion of the ldiskand gasket therewithin, and also enables the holder to be placed overthe jar neck with greater ease. The upper edge. 17, which is inwardlyturned, serves merely to retain the disk in place within the holder.

The relation of the parts, both before and after the screw cap istightened, appearsclearly from Figs. 2 and 3. The vacuum seal is formedin the usual manner, the gasket 15 serving to form a seal between thejar and the disk 14. At the time it is desired to open the jar, thescrew cap 8 is removed in the usual manner, after which the holder orguide 16 is removed from olf the disk and gasket. The removal of theguide may be readily accomplished if it be made of some material, suchas paper, which can beeasily torn off, if necessary. Thereafter, a knifeor other instrument is inserted between the disk and gasket to make anopening for the passage of air into the interior of the jar. In thedevice of the present invention it will be observed that there is noobstruction whatever to a complete insertion of a knife or otherinstrument between the disk and gasket as far as may be necessary tobreak the vacuum seal, so that the cap may be removed.

The holder described herein permits the use of a gasket which extends tothe extreme outside edge of the jar neck. Such a gasket provides a moreeffective seal, due to the fact that it extends over the entire surfaceof the upper edge of the jar. At the same `time the gasket need not beunduly wide in order to accomplish this end, since the holder accuratelyalines the gasket upon the jar neck at the time the seal is beingformed. As the gasket is well set over the entire npper edge of theneck, there is no tendency for the gasket to slide into the jar becauseof exterior air pressure. The present closure may, therefore dispensewith a depending fiange on the disk extending into the jar mouth, of thekind disclosed in my patent No. 1,180,929.

In use the jar closure may be easily assembled and applied as a unit toform the seal. This is preferably done by inverting the guide 1G, sothat its iiared edge 1S is turned upwardly. The disk 1J: is firstdropped into place within the guide, and

ing the time that the screw cap is being4 tightened, thus assuring aperfect seal. At the same time the removal of the closure is readilyprovided for in that the insertion and movement of a knife or similarinstrument is permitted between the gasket and the disk withoutinterference,` as far as may be necessary to break the vacuum seal.

I claim:

1. A closure for receptacles having a neck exteriorly screw-threaded,consisting of a cap interiorly screw-threaded to coperate with thecorresponding elements on the receptacle neck, whereby rotation of thecap relative tothe receptacle in one direction will effect a tighteningbetween the cap and receptacle increasing as the rotation is continued,and whereby rotation in the other direction will effect a looseningbetween the cap and receptacle resulting in an ultimate disengagement ofthe one from the other, and sealing means interposed between the cap andthe receptacle mouth, consisting of a disk whose diameter issubstantially equal to the outside diameter of the receptacle mouth, thedisk being' positioned adjacent the inner side of the cap, a gasketarranged .to fit between the disk and the mouth of the receptacle toestablish a seal therebetween, the voutside diameters of the disk andgasket being substantially the same,7and a ringshaped holder arranged toreceive the disk and gasket, the holder'being inturned along one edgethereof to form a retaining flange for the disk, the said flange lyingbetween the cap and the disk, the holder being flared at the other edgethereof to guide the holder and parts therewithin into operativeposition, the diameter of the holder at its widest point being less thanthe inside diameter of the cap edge lying upon the receptacle neck,whereby the cap when unscrewed from the receptacle may be freely removedfrom off the holder, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a receptacle, a cap arranged to cover thereceptacle mouth and to fasten upon the receptacle neck, there beingelements projecting outwardly from the neck beyond the outer edge of themouth, with which elements the cap may engage and by which the cap isdrawn down upon the receptacle when rotated thereupon, the insidediameter of the cap being greater than the outside diameter of the neckto provide a clearance therebetween adjacent the mouth, and means forestablishing a seal between the receptacle mouth and the cap consistingof a gasket arranged to seat upon the mouth and having its outsidediameter substantially equal to that of the neck, a disk arranged uponthe gasket and having its diameter substantially equal to that of thegasket, and a ring-shaped holder embracing the disk and gasket with itslower edge p0- sitioned within the clearance between the neck and cap,substantially as described.

3. In combination with a receptacle, a cap arranged to cover thereceptacle mouth and to fasten upon the receptacle neck, there beingelements projecting outwardly from the neck beyond the outer edge of themouth with which the cap may engage, the inside diameter of the capbeing greater than the outside diameter of the neck to provide aclearance therebetween adjacent the mouth, means for establishing a sealbetween the receptacle mouth and the cap consisting of a gasket arrangedto seat upon the mouth and having its outside diameter substantiallyequal to that of the neck, a disk arranged upon the gasket having itsdiameter substantially equal to that of the gasket, and a holderembracing the disk and gasket provided with a lower edge outwardlyflared and disposed within the clearance between the neck and cap,substantially as described.

4. A closure for receptacles of the character described, comprising acircular disk, the diameter of the disk being substantially equal to thediameter of the receptacle neck with which it cooperates, a gasketarranged to fit between the disk and the mouth of the receptacle toestablish a seal therebetween, a. holder within which the disk andgasket may be placed, said holder serving also to aline the disk andgasket upon the receptacle, the holder being in the form of a ring,

with its upper edge inturned to form a re-.

taining flange for the disk, and a cap arranged to fasten upon thereceptacle neck,

flange for the disk, and being outwardly iared at the other edge thereofto guide the holder and the parts therewithin into operative position,and a cap arranged to fasten upon the receptacle neck, there being aclearance between the cap and the receptacle neck within which theoutwardly flared edge of the holder may freely lie, substantially asdescribed.

G. A closure for receptacles of the character described, comprising adisk, a gasket for the receptacle arranged to lie adjacent the disk, aholder within which the disk and gasket may be retained, and by whichthese elements may be alined with the receptacle neck in proper sealingposition, the holder being in the form of a ring with one edge thereofinturned to form a retaining flange for the disk, and with its otheredge outwardly flared to guide the holder and the parts therewithin intooperative position, and a cap arranged to fasten upon the receptacleneck, there being a clearance between the cap and the receptacle neckwithin which the outwardly flared edge of the holder may freely lie,substantially as described.

7. A closure for receptacles of the character described, comprising adisk, a gasket, the disk and gasket being of proper size to coperatewith each other and the receptacle neck on which they are placed, aholder arranged to receive and guide into sealing position the disk andgasket, and a cap arranged to fasten upon the receptacle neck and .toexert a variable pressure upon the disk and gasket for sealing thereceptacle, there being a clearance between the cap and the receptacleneck within which one edge of the holder may freely lie, substantiallyas described.

CHARLES R. KEERAN.

Vitnesses Errmfxur BANNING, FRAN ons M. FROST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 2D. C.

